Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Finding The Time To Blog

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It’s still June, so it’s still time for the Newbie Blogger Initiative, and that means it’s time to part with some more wisdom. Blogging takes time, but sometimes you have other stuff you want to do (or have to do) and finding time can be difficult. Maybe my experience can help out.

Being a blogger is hard. If you have a schedule you want to keep, you have to think of writing prompts for yourself, or finding time to sit down and write out the post. Then you have to find time to edit it and finally post it. If you’re like me, you’ll also want to promote it out to Twitter, and if it’s game related, Anook. Some also share on Facebook, but who uses that? Am I right? >.>

Now being a blogger and YouTuber is even harder, because now you need to find time to record video and edit that. Do you add commentary? That’s more editing. Like to create stories? Now you have to write for that and the blog.

Even further, being a blogger, YouTuber, and gamer is far harder. Now I have to find time to actually play the games that interest me.

Adding to this already long intro, being a blogger, YouTuber, gamer, and pet owner. Oh, also spending time with my family (parents and siblings that is, not married or have kids as of yet). But some day I may brand the father and husband badge. Some already do and that splits time up further. And then some also have their faith to consider.

The thing is, we all wear hundreds of badges and hats during our lives and they all require time and attention. Many can handle their time better than me… err, I mean others. :p

But what I found for myself helps me make time for (almost) everything I like to do. From gaming, to blogging, and watching movies to hanging out with others. So how do I handle all the madness? I use a cycle system to put attention to a few things at a time.

What I mean by a cycle system is that I’ll concentrate on a few things at a time. When I feel I’ve put enough time behind it, I’ll start focusing on the next few things. Eventually I’ll go through all of them and cycle back around to the first group.

For example I’ll spend today going through blogs, hitting likes and giving comments. I’ll also make time to write a blog post of my own. The next day, I may just play a game to gain my mental energy back up.

On top of individual day planning, I may assign this week to blogging and next week to YouTubing.

The system is still being developed, but it uses  my mild OCD and inability to let little things go. They help me remind myself to revisit certain blogs I’ve been meaning to read, or I need to work on an idea that’s been in my head for a month now. I currently have a comic idea I wanted to do for a year now and been coming up with mechanics for a game I wanted to do for many years.

Very important things I don’t leave to my memory only, I’ll write it down on a notepad I have on my desk. That pad is a godsend when it comes to helping me remember fleeting thoughts.

Some things tend to stay high on my priority list and shows up many times in a cycle, like playing games, while other things comes up a couple times a cycle, like making YouTube videos. My mom keeps asking when I’ll have another video up. It’s like when I told you about the trash, I can’t take it out yet until I find a safe spot to save the game, mom. I can’t just pause in the middle of a cutscene!

Sorry, an old memory was surfacing… Where’s my notepad? I need to make another video.

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